LA JOLLA, Calif. - Down by as many as 14 points Friday, the Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball team rallied to take a second-half lead against Humboldt State in the semifinal round of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Tournament.
The Jacks fought back to hold a three-point edge with 18.8 seconds to play and the Broncos in possession. The CPP offense couldn't deliver in those final moments though and the final 74-70 result went to HSU.
Four veteran Broncos led the way on offense, as
Matt Rosser totaled a team-high 18 points while going 10-for-11 at the free throw line.
Dwayne Fells (13),
Mitchel Anderson (13) and
Tyquan Brown (12) joined Rosser in double figures. CPP shot 47.7 percent but accumulated 16 turnovers.
The Broncos, ranked at No. 7 in the West Region in the most recent poll and owners of a 1-1 record this week, will now await the Division II postseason selection show to be aired Sunday at 7:30 p.m. on NCAA.com. The top eight teams from the region will get spots in the NCAA playoff field.
The Lumberjacks staked a 7-2 lead early in Friday's first half but a few minutes later, the Broncos' offense warmed up with a a
Bryce Brady three-pointer from the left corner and a Rosser dunk two possession later.
At the 14:25 mark, Fells stepped to the line and sank two free throws and the first marked point No. 1,000 of his career. Those attempts brought the HSU edge down to 11-9.
Behind the high-percentage shooting of Randy Hunter though, the Jacks pushed their advantage to 22-13 halfway through the opening period while CPP committed six turnovers in that span.
Although HSU led by as many as 14 late in the first half, the Broncos seized back a chunck of momentum once the scoreboard ticked under the four-minute mark.
A slick give-and-go between Rosser and Fells off an inbounds pass led to a dunk to cut the gap to 12. Then, a layup from Brown after an offensive board brought the margin to 37-27 with two minutes to play.
After forcing an HSU turnover on one end, Rosser completed a three-point play on a fastbreak layup and subsequent free throw at the 1:46 mark. A free throw from Fells capped off the 8-0 Broncos' run to close the half with the score at 37-11 in favor of the Jacks.
CPP continued to chip away at the difference after the break, as a Fells three-point play at the 13:28 mark brought it to a one-possession game at 45-42. The two squads traded points over the next couple of minutes but another HSU turnover led to an Anderson dunk on the other end, giving the Broncos a 52-51 lead with 9:25 to play.
Anderson found his long-distance rhythm moments later, knocking down a three-pointer from the right side to push CPP ahead 55-51. Using a one-and-one opportunity, Rosser tossed in a pair of free throws to cap off a 9-0 Broncos' spurt.
The Jacks got back-to-back buckets from D.J. Broome and Brandon Sperling though, snapping the CPP run and making it a one-possesion contest at 57-55. The two teams stayed close over the next few minutes until
DeRonn Scott fired in a three-pointer to give the Broncos a little extra breathing room at 64-58.
HSU countered strong and CPP held a slim 65-64 lead as the game clock ticked under the 2:00 mark. The teams traded the advantage three different times from that point forward, with the Jacks holding a 70-67 edge with a minute to go. A nice move from Rosser into the paint resulted in a layup to bring the lead back to one but on the other end, a Scott Clark leaning jumper pushed the score to 72-69 in favor of HSU.
Trailing by three and getting the ball with 18.8 seconds to play, Rosser drew contact and went to the line shooting two. Hitting one of the pair made it a 72-70 difference as the Jacks got the ball and 12.9 seconds on the clock. CPP struggled to hits its final chances while the Jacks converted enough free throws to take the 74-70 result. Hunter guided HSU to the victory, as he racked up 24 points on 9-for-13 shooting.
